1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filtering apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for filtering contaminants, particles and the like from a cooling system working in conjunction with an internal combustion engine.
2. Art Background
It is commonly known that all types of fluids are easily susceptible to contamination. Thus, over the years, our society has developed a number of filtering systems to remove unwanted contaminants from certain fluids. For example, filtering systems have been widely used by cities and counties throughout the United States to remove unwanted contaminants from local water supplies so as to provide suitable drinking water for its citizens. Even commercial products, such as household faucets, have been designed to include a filtering system to prevent debris from the water pipes from getting into your drinking water. Besides being used to protect the health of the populous, filtering systems have been incorporated in many commercial products, such as an automobile, truck or generally any machine relying on an internal combustion engine, to improve the product's performance and extend its useful life.
Many years ago, the automotive industry realized that internal combustion engines operate more efficiently for a longer duration if unwanted contaminants are prevented from entering the engine and becoming deposited therein. Thus, in order to protect the engine from damaging contaminants thereby extending the useful life of its engine, the automotive industry began to incorporate filtering devices, particularly within the fuel lines ("fuel filters") and the oil lines ("oil filters").
These filters, which are installed originally and can be purchased as an after-market product, have been positioned within an accessible area of the engine so that ordinary consumers can replace these inexpensive filters once the vehicle is driven a certain number of miles or after a certain time period has expired. By routinely replacing these filters, consumers directly increase the useful life of their cars and enable their cars to perform at their optimum level. Although these filters protect the engine from contaminants, there is no such filtering device to prevent unwanted contaminants, particles and the like from damaging the radiator within the cooling system.
Car engines are formed by metal casting which provides a somewhat rough grain surface, which, over time, results in the accumulation of small particles in the radiator fluid as the granules break off from the surface. Additionally, corrosion occurs in the radiator over time causing an accumulation of "rust" particles as well. A few years ago, radiators were designed with metal heads so that the rectangular tubing within the radiator casing could be easily cleaned by welding the head open and removing the radiator rectangular tubing. In today's disposable society, radiators are designed with plastic heads so that the tubes cannot be removed. Thus, without a way to clean the rectangular tubing, the entire radiator must be replaced which costs consumers hundreds of dollars in unnecessary repairs, causes consumers the inconvenience of waiting many hours to get their car repaired, and unnecessarily wastes natural resources.
It would be a great advantage and, is therefore an object of the present invention, to provide a filtering apparatus for the cooling system with the purpose of extending the useful life of the radiator.